The Winter's Hypnosis
by Cirque Du Cinque
Summary: Weiss's life back in Atlas had always been mysteriously hidden. It's not that Weiss seemed adverse to talking about it, she just never brought it up. What's been buried in her past?
1. Chapter 1

Though the midday sun shined overhead, its heat was lukewarm at best. Icicles dripped at such a rate that it sounded like light rain was making its way through Atlas. A chill ran down Ruby's back as a water drop from an archway landed on her neck.

Knocking on a door had never been so difficult to Ruby. She thought this would be something she wouldn't hesitate to do, but she felt her stomach turning and her hands trembling. It must have been the excitement, she figured.

After finally mustering the courage to press a doorbell, Ruby was greeted by a servant within the minute.

"And who may you be?" The servant asked.

The response had been mentally rehearsed. "My name is Ruby Rose. I was Weiss's partner back at Beacon. I'd like to say hi to her."

The servant gave Ruby a quick once-over and promptly pressed a button on the intercom. "Miss Weiss, you have a guest. Someone by the name of Ruby Rose."

Ruby could hear the clacking of Weiss's heels, and how they quickly sped up in their rhythm. A blush crept across her face as her excitement grew. When Weiss turned the corner, Ruby was stunned.

Weiss looked… incredible. She held herself with a different bearing than before. She was graceful, poised, mature, nothing like the bratty-yet-kind-hearted teenager that Ruby knew. It had only been six months, but Weiss looked like she had aged three years. She truly carried herself as if she was ready to run a company.

Of course, all that changed as soon as the two made eye contact for the first time in half a year.

Ruby suddenly found herself embraced in the tightest hug Weiss had ever given her. She returned the favor, resting her chin on her partner's shoulder.

"I missed you so much," Weiss practically whispered.

Ruby caught a whiff of coffee and perfume. It had been months since she last encountered that unique smell; the same one Weiss had when she muttered something to Ruby in class, or whenever they shared a textbook with each other. Ruby seldom noticed it during those peaceful times, but now, it felt no different than the smell of flowering trees on Patch. It felt like home.

The two began to separate, holding each other at arm's length. When Ruby threatened to let go, she was pulled in again. Ruby only caught a glimpse of Weiss's face before returning the second hug, and her reddened cheeks and furrowed brow told a clear story: the past few months had been unbearably lonely for her.

After finally pulling apart, Weiss led Ruby to her bedroom.

"Everything is very… blue and white," Ruby mused.

Weiss gave a rare laugh. "You get used to it after a while."

A butler brought in snacks as Ruby and Weiss began discussing the past months.

There were many stories to be told from Ruby's side of the table. She spoke of her adventures with Jaune, Ren, and Nora; and of how much all four of them had grown. Ruby's supply of tales seemed to be endless: an encounter with a golem Grimm, Jaune getting his new armor, forests with lightning bugs that lit up the night, she could have gone on for hours. "How about you, Weiss?"

Weiss had barely gotten a word in for the past thirty minutes. "Oh, it's been… kind of boring, I guess. Just same old family life…"

"Well, what's that like?"

Weiss hesitated; with silence finally finding its place in their conversation, the faint sounds of an argument could be heard from down the hall.

"It's…" Weiss absentmindedly fixed her bangs.

Ruby pieced things together quickly. "Oh…"

"It's not all too bad, though. I have my brother and—"

"You have a brother?!"

"Yes! I have a brother. His name is Whitley."

Ruby scratched her head. "You… never mentioned you had a brother. In fact, you never really talk about your family much at all. I thought it was just you and your older sister."

"Have I ever told you about my butler? His name is Klein."

"No, you never talked about him, either."

Weiss looked just a touch guilty. "Oh, well, I think I hear his footsteps now."

Instead of bringing in another plate of snacks, Klein entered the room with a brisk walk and a jubilant grin. "Ms. Weiss," he said, "There's someone here to see you."

He stepped aside to reveal a strapping young woman – tanned, with dark hair, easily approaching six feet tall – wearing an Atlesian Army dress uniform.

Weiss sprung up from her seat. "Lieutenant Duvall!" Before she even finished her sentence, she had already hugged the soldier. "It's so nice to see you!"

After taking a moment to exchange pleasantries, Weiss turned to face Ruby. "This is one of my sister's lieutenants, Lali Duvall."

The lieutenant held out her hand, and Ruby shook it, slightly nervous to be in the presence of an army officer. "I-it's an honor to meet you, Lieutenant Duvall, ma'am!"

Duvall snickered. "You teach her that, Little Schnee?"

"She's met my sister before," Weiss replied. "She made it pretty clear she had never met a soldier."

Ruby spoke up. "But I know how to greet them now! I think…" She gave a small laugh before mumbling reminders to herself that she tried her best.

Duvall reached into her jacket pocket. "Now that we're past greetings—" A pack of cards was suddenly thrown onto the table. "—how about a game?"

"Of what? Poker? I don't know how to play."

Weiss playfully pat Ruby on the back. "We'll teach you! She's the master, and I learned from the best, of course! Hope you're okay with losing."

It's never easy to keep up when you're a novice playing against experts, but Ruby was finding it especially difficult to focus. Questions raced through her mind. How come Weiss never told her about her sister's military friends? Or her sister, for that matter –?

"Three-of-a-kind."

-What is it about Weiss's family life that made her keep it so private? She seemed to have plenty of pleasant memories about this soldier. Why not—

"Full house."

"Hey, not bad…"

\- share them with her teammates? How long has she known Winter's troops for? A long time, probably, like a few years at least, maybe more—

"I can't match it."

"Aww."

-Like, maybe since she was a little kid. Come to think of it, it seems like Weiss is pretty attached to her sister, so why doesn't she communicate with her more? She's busy, obviously. She's a military officer. But wouldn't she find _some_ time to say hi to her family? Unless, of course, she's being kept away from Weiss—

"Ruby?"

Oh.

Ruby snapped her head up.

"Ruby, are you going to play, or just watch?"

To the tune of a shuffling deck, Ruby rearranged her hand.

* * *

After the game hit its end (in which Ruby had lost all her decorative glass pebbles), Ruby didn't find much more time for thinking, as Duvall soon drew her attention.

"Hey, so, I've got O'Day scheduled to pick me up sometime soon, but after that, nothing for a day or so. Is there anywhere you two want to go?"

Ruby and Weiss looked at each other. After Ruby mouthed the name of their runaway teammate, Weiss nodded.

"Vacuo," the two girls said, almost simultaneously. Weiss tacked on a "please."

"Vacuo?! That's a seven-hour flight!"

"I know," Weiss said. "I'm asking you to drive us to the airfield. I'm sure one of my family's personal ships are there."

Duvall let out a puff of air. "Alright, fine. Airfield it is." 

The car ride never had a dull moment. Duvall was behind the wheel, and O'Day was constantly turning to Ruby and Weiss and wildly gesturing his way through some story. He was notably young – likely not two years older than Weiss. Freckles dotted his smooth complexion, and his uniform looked like it was fitted to allow him some room to grow.

Weiss was intently listening to his stories with a constant, genuine grin on her face.

"I'm telling ya, so Yavor is there, literally stuck on fence, hanging from his backpack, and this giant-ass bird, like, size of microwave or somethin' – it lands on his head. I'm there dying of laughter, and the drill sergeant is yelling his top off, but the best part is that the drill sergeant is a good twenty feet away from Yavor because he's terrified of birds."

Ruby and Weiss responded with laughter and many a cry of "no way!" O'Day had a talent for storytelling, and he was never afraid to show it off. He had the gift of delivery, and that countryside-Atlas accent made it even better for some reason.

After the stories and laughter subsided, Weiss asked about the goings-on of the battalion.

"Well," O'Day started, "after this, we're going back to the base, and then, ah, it's going to be a while before we see you again."

Weiss groaned in response. "Another deployment?" she whined, "You guys just got back from your last one five months ago!"

Duvall cut in. "Yeah, yeah, I know… I'm not crazy about it, either, but orders are orders, y'know? Extra help is needed down where Beacon used to be."

"I guess…"

"I'm sorry, Little Corporal Schnee. Winter said she'd call you as soon as the mission was over."

Ruby leaned back in her seat. Little _Corporal_ Schnee? What was that about?

* * *

" _Hey, Little Schnee!" A sergeant cried out._

 _Winter let go of her little sister's hand and let her run off to say hello to the platoon. A corporal picked her up and put his cap on her head. It was several sizes too large, and it flopped down over her eyes. The 9-year-old Weiss cheerfully giggled._

 _Winter loved to bring her sister to the base when she could. It boosted morale, and the platoon adored her. Weiss adored them back._

" _Hi, Corporal Renick!" she chirped._

" _I told you, you can just call me Sunil, okay?"_

" _Okay, Sunil!"_

 _Weiss was handed over to a staff sergeant as Corporal Renick held up a finger towards Winter._

 _He left for a moment, and returned with a neatly-wrapped box._

 _Wriggling in the staff sergeant's arms, Weiss squealed in delight. "You remembered her birthday!" Winter exclaimed, incredibly touched._

" _Of course we did. You said it was this week. So, we all chipped in to make her something special."_

 _Weiss was set down so she could open her gift. She stared in awe as she looked inside. "My own uniform!"_

 _Sure enough, she was holding up a child-sized military uniform, complete with a nametag and rank. Not a minute passed before she was off to a bathroom so she could change. She reemerged standing tall and proud, her chest puffed out and her right arm saluting. "Private Schnee, ready for battle!"_

 _One could practically hear all the hearts melting at once. A young soldier couldn't help but give the child a hug._

 _Winter laughed. "Private Duvall, I think you can let go now."_

" _But she's so cute! She looks just like a mini-you!"_

" _Heh… she does, doesn't she?"_

 _The years passed, and Weiss soon outgrew out of her tiny uniform. She was memorably upset when she feared she couldn't wear it to the base anymore. To quell her worries, she was given a new one for her eleventh birthday, along with a new rank. Mock ceremonies were performed by the platoon when Weiss was "promoted." When she was eleven, they bumped her up to Private First Class; when she was thirteen, it was Corporal._

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, Little Corporal Weiss Schnee"_

* * *

Sunlight glinted off the windshield of a small airship. Pale-blue in color, Schnee family emblem decorating the side, 'C-103' written near the nose. "This is the one," Weiss remarked. She took a few steps onto the entrance ramp before saluting a flight officer. "Permission to come aboard, sir?"

The officer laughed. This airship belonged to _her_ , as far as he knew, but he had no reason to argue with formalities. "Permission granted."

Weiss walked onto the ship with Ruby, attempting with little success to mimic her poise, tailing her. The cabin of the private airship was pleasantly cool, and refreshments had already been laid out on a table underneath a television. There were worse ways to spend a seven-hour flight.

Before anyone settled down, there were more important matters to get to. Weiss pulled up several maps of Vacuo, and Ruby studied each one.

"Maybe if we head to the eastern port towns? I mean, Blake probably made it by boat, right?"

"That's true."

Soon enough, the engines roared to life. As the world slowly passed by the windows, Weiss pressed her face up to the glass. An all-too-familiar airship caught her attention, and she followed it with her eyes until it slipped out of sight. The last time she was on that airship was... five, six years ago? She couldn't believe it had already been that long. As best she could, Weiss shook the memory from her mind.

* * *

" _Good morning, Private Espinosa," Weiss said in a professional tone. One leg was raised just the slightest, no doubt a subconscious position to ease the ache of a growing pain in her shin. She had really shot up over the past few months, the soldiers had noticed. It was almost time to start investing in a new uniform for her._

" _Woah, Little Private Schnee," Private Espinosa said, her striking blue eyes lighting up. "Are you…? You are! You're my height now!"_

 _Sergeant Renick went over to them. "You still got a ways to go before reaching my height, though," he laughed. Weiss turned to look at him, and despite all her growing, her head only reached his chest when she went to hug him._

 _Private Espinosa had gone off to find Winter. When she returned with her commander, she demonstrated that there was a new shortest member of the platoon. Winter gave her little sister a loving smile. She was growing up so beautifully._

 _Weiss noticed, however, that Winter's smile held a hint of sadness in it. "Winter, is something wrong?"_

" _Weiss, as you may have heard, I'm going to be promoted to Captain in a couple months."_

" _Yeah, I heard! I'm excited for you."_

" _Thank you, but…" She sighed. "After my promotion, the battalion is going to be deployed to assist with the battle in Vale."_

 _Weiss's brow furrowed and her arms tensed. "But that can't be! The 258_ _th_ _was never meant to go to the front lines!"_

" _I know, Weiss." Winter couldn't bring herself to meet her sister's eye. "But I can't argue with orders. I'm sorry."_

 _Weiss's shoulders relaxed as she regained her composure. "…How long are you going to be gone?"_

" _Fifteen months." Winter's voice nearly broke._

" _Fifteen?! I won't see you for over a year? But that's not fa-"_

" _I'm so sorry, Weiss."_

 _Espinosa cut in. "Hey, don't worry, Little Schnee. Afterwards, we're not going anywhere for at least another two years. Promise!"_

 _Wishful thinking._


	2. Chapter 2

"Get any information?"

"Nope."

Ruby breathed a heavy sigh. This town was void of any sign of Blake, just like the last four had been.

Not that Weiss seemed particularly focused on the mission at hand. She cared for Blake, of course. She cared for her no less than Ruby did. At the same time, though, there was clearly something gnawing at her incessantly. No one just paced like that.

Ruby decided to do some investigating of her own. "Hey, Weiss."

Weiss stopped in her tracks and raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just thinking about my sister, that's all."

Ruby walked closer. "Is that what's been distracting you this whole time?"

Weiss nodded. "I see her less and less every year. She's a lot older than me, and she's in the army, so that's to be expected, but I love being with her more than anything…"

"It's okay. I understand. I have a big sister, too."

"No, it's not like that, Ruby!" Weiss snapped around to make full eye contact. "You can go home and everyone there loves and supports you! No one else in my family cares about me like she does. Everyone else just wants to use me. She's all I have, Ruby!" Weiss's voice cracked. She turned red in a sudden rush of shame before pivoting and walking away.

* * *

" _Lieutenant Duvall, is it true?" Weiss asked, her eyes wide with fear. "Are you guys really leaving?"_

 _Now that she had another distraction, Duvall set down the puzzle cube she had solved for the third time that day. "I'm sorry, Little Corporal, but it's true. Fort Blanche has been a nice home for the battalion, but I guess the higher-ups have some other ideas."_

" _What's the new base?"_

" _Fort Amarillo. It's about a five-hour flight, in the middle of some forest on the northern edge of Vytal Island." Lieutenant Duvall noted Weiss's dejected expression, but continued with a soft sigh. "I know it's hard, Weiss, but it's part of the military life."_

" _I know, I know," Weiss interjected, "It's just… it doesn't make sense. Why would they relocate an entire battalion on such short notice?"_

 _Duvall picked up her puzzle cube once again, lightly tossing it in one hand. "Lots of things in this army don't make much sense. We don't make the rules; we just follow them. I'm sorry."_

 _Winter entered, nodding in agreement. "I'll try to visit as often as I can, Weiss. If that's not enough, I'll have one of my sergeants or lieutenants visit on their off-days."_

 _Weiss wrapped her arms around her sister, burying her face into Winter's shoulder. "I don't want you to go."_

" _I know, and I don't want to leave you either, but…" Winter put her hands on Weiss's shoulders and stepped back from her, so she could meet her eye-to-eye. "You're a big girl now, Weiss. I'm confident you'll be okay. You can always call me or text me during the proper hours if you need me. Just remember I love you more than anything, alright?"_

" _Alright." Weiss gave her sister one last hug. "I love you, too."_

 _And just like that, the battalion was gone._

* * *

Weiss and Ruby returned home disappointed. Their search had come up with no leads, and Blake could only be getting further away by this point.

Weiss's brother, Whitley, crossed paths with the girls as they walked through the front door. "No luck?"

Weiss wasn't fooled by Whitley's fake concern. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I'm on my way to dad's office. I'll see you this evening."

"Have fun."

Whitley strutted out to the driveway with his usual pride, and Weiss gave him a scowl after the door shut behind them.

A few silent moments passed.

Ruby couldn't help but notice Weiss neurotically checking her phone. This must have been the hundredth time in the past two hours.

"Weiss," Ruby started, causing her friend to jump, "is something wrong?"

Weiss looked back down at her scroll. "My sister should be back by now, why isn't she…?" Trailing off, she looked up briefly to shake her worst thoughts from her mind.

Ruby tried to regain Weiss's attention. "Why isn't she what?"

"She hasn't responded to any of my messages. She told me she'd text me after her mission. That should've been hours ago."

"Have you tried calling?"

Weiss shook her head and immediately dialed the number. With each pause between the callback ring, the hope in the room dropped more and more. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Weiss's face. "She must be busy. I'll try Duvall."

Six callback rings. Answering machine. The blood drained from Weiss's face. A sharp pain grew in her throat as her heart began to beat faster. "It's okay, it's okay, she's fine, just busy, she's fine, she's fine…" Weiss's muttering soon grew incoherent.

Ruby cut in to try to calm Weiss's nerves. "Don't worry so much, Weiss, she's probably just caught up in something."

Weiss took no notice. Pain stabbed her head and her stomach knotted.

"Weiss?"

A knock finally took away Weiss's attention.

Three raps on the door. Each reverberated through the grand entrance of the mansion. Weiss walked over with hesitation. Three knocks, she knew, could be the tolling of Death's bells. When the doors opened, two soldiers were looking down at her. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. It stopped as one of the soldiers bent down to her eye level, beginning to speak somberly.

"Ms. Schnee, it's with a heavy heart-"

Weiss stared off to the distance with widened eyes. "N-no..."

"We inform you-"

"No, please, no!"

"Your sister-"

Her knees gave out. "No! _Please, don't say it!"_

"Fought valiantly-"

"Please! _NO!"_ Her hands flew to her ears.

The soldier almost considered following her demands, but he had to keep going. It was his job. He shut his eyes. "But has fallen in battle."

Weiss screamed. It was unlike anything Ruby had ever heard. The poised, stoic heiress was nothing more than a sobbing heap on a granite floor. Both soldiers were clearly trying to hold back tears as they did their best to console the woman – No, the _child_. Weiss was a child, subjugated to the most agonizing pain that could ever be felt. Ruby steadily moved closer, and she began to overhear the choked solaces of the soldiers.

"She's always going to be watching over you, Weiss…"

* * *

Ruby sat next to Weiss, stroking her hair as she lay on the foyer floor. The soldiers had to leave so they could deliver the news to Weiss's father and brother. Before they left, one of them turned to Ruby with a look of anguish on her face, eyes red and tired.

"Please, take care of her," she said.

The door closed behind the soldier slowly, as though not to disturb Weiss. She had quickly cried herself to borderline unconsciousness, her burdened breaths wracking her body.

Ruby sensed someone else in the room.

Klein stared in shock. A first-aid kid lay dropped on the ground. How long he had been there, Ruby didn't know, but when she noticed him, he slowly approached Weiss. It was clear that he simply could not find the words. That scream was so loud, it sounded like Weiss had taken a terrible tumble down the stairs. However, no injury was apparent. This was something far worse than a broken bone or a concussion. He could feel it.

A pleading gaze bore into Ruby.

"Is it…" Klein began, pausing afterwards. "Please, don't tell me…" His eyes widened as his thoughts came together.

Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came out. There was no reason for them to.

Klein knew only one thing could reduce this strong girl to such a state. He knelt and put a hand on Weiss's shoulder, tightly shutting his eyes. "Help Weiss to her bed," he whispered. "Please."

All of Weiss's body seemed to refuse to leave the ground. Getting her to her feet was like trying to stand up the world's heaviest ragdoll. In the grand, high ceilings of the mansion, every sound echoed into Ruby's ears. Each heavy footstep, each trembling breath, each choked sob.

When Weiss finally made it to her bed, she slumped down onto it, staring at a shelf. Ruby felt tempted to inspect the pictures and mementos, but she knew that would only hurt Weiss more.

Minutes passed, and Weiss's breathing evened. She quietly lulled herself to sleep, and Ruby silently sat close by. Leaving her friend alone, she decided, would only make things worse. Her father was going to be an angry wreck, her mother was going to drink everything away, and now Weiss had no big sister to lean on, either.

Ruby was all she had.

* * *

The hours passed. Weiss's father did return home, but he went straight to his study, eyes red and tired. Weiss wasn't interested in joining him.

Hours turned to days. Ruby stayed in the somber household as a pillar of strength for her friend. Heavens above, it was grueling. On occasion, Ruby couldn't help but go into an empty room and cry a bit herself. She knew Winter – proud, graceful, elegant, but most importantly, Weiss's light. Her beacon. When Winter had arrived at the Vytal Festival, Weiss's face lit up with childlike joy. Without that light in her life, Weiss could never be the same again. A part of Weiss had departed, it seemed. Ruby had lost her best friend as she knew her. Every time she told Weiss whatever bits of information she could get, the burden weighed on her more and more.

"Funeral is going to be Wednesday," Ruby said, entering Weiss's room. "Full honors."

"Thanks," Weiss halfheartedly replied.

"Oh, and, someone left a letter for you." Ruby handed her an envelope.

Weiss opened it and read it silently to herself. She didn't tell Ruby what it said, but it left the slightest – just the _slightest_ – hint of a smile on her face. Weiss's heart, for the first time in days, was warmed by something. Ruby didn't care what, all that mattered is that there was _something_ keeping the tiniest spark of hope alight for her _._

Weiss finally spoke up. "Hey, Ruby, can you go into my closet and get the box on the top shelf? It's gray."

Ruby complied and found the box Weiss was referring to. She brought it to her friend, who carefully removed the lid and held up the uniform that was inside.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You have your own uniform?"

Weiss explained her former position as platoon mascot while Ruby admired the junior-sized outfit. The white, polyester fabric was lined with some gray twill striping. Two stripes on the arm denoted the rank of corporal, and a slate nameplate shined as it caught the light. This wasn't some cheap gift, it really looked like a small, official uniform, albeit without medals or badges.

"They want me to wear it at the ceremony. I think it still fits." Weiss took a deep breath, blinking to keep tears back. She ran her thumbs in circles on the shoulders of the suit, reminiscing about the feeling of the fabric, the pride it holds. Her mouth curved into a smile, a real, true smile.

Ruby's heart leapt.

* * *

Company B of the 258th Air Support Battalion marched solemnly at the cemetery. The soldiers were formed in their respective platoons, except for those close to Captain Schnee. The details of Winter's final battle reached Weiss's ears as she held the hand of the First Sergeant Renick. He had seen it all firsthand.

It wasn't just Winter who fell, she learned. The fatal event was an airship crash, shot down by enemy turrets. Thanks to expert piloting, the ship didn't crash into a massive explosion, but rather, a burning metal heap, threatening to collapse at any minute. Winter, being the leader she was, went back in the burning wreck again and again, trying to find every soldier she could, but there were 43 troops on that airship, and only 20 had made it out safely on their own. Winter went back in on her third trip when the weakened frame finally gave out. Eight soldiers were rescued, but four more were crushed to death in the process, Winter included.

"Your sister was a hero, Weiss," the sergeant concluded. "Like the ones we all dream of being. The ones you read about in books and museums and-"

Weiss gripped Renick's hand tighter. "Who else?" she asked.

"Who else?"

"Who else didn't make it?"

First Sergeant Renick bit his lip.

* * *

 _From afar, airship crashes always seem to happen in slow-motion. Maybe it's the design that makes it seem like it almost floats to the ground. Something about aerodynamics and the wings and lift. No one on the ship really knew. Maybe it was just a trick of the eye._

 _When the bullets hit the engines, the answer became painfully clear. It was most definitely the latter. Trick of the eye. Once the engines failed, tens of thousands of pounds began hurtling towards the earth, and nothing inside the steel walls stayed grounded. People, chairs, papers, anything that wasn't bolted into the floor slammed against whichever side of the ship gravity was favoring at the moment._

 _The first casualties Winter could account for occurred the second the sleek airship crumpled into a smoldering wreck. The final impact sent a small, lanky soldier flying across the fuselage. He crossed paths with another airborne crew member, and the meeting was fatal._

 _Corporal Yavor Laska. Nineteen. His chest was pressed against the wall, but his head was half-unscrewed. He was looking backwards. Dead._

 _Private Vanna Darzi. Eighteen. Cute kid._

 _Winter scrambled over._

 _No pulse. Dead._

 _There were 42 other soldiers on the ship. Now, there were 40. Winter scanned the calamity._

 _Eleven people in sight. Six awake. Five lying down. One has shrapnel in his chest. Another has blood pouring from her deformed mouth and jaw._

 _Three are being checked. Two are responsive. One is covered with a jacket._

 _There are 37 other soldiers on the ship._

 _Winter picked up a comrade with a twisted foot and limped as quickly as she could to a hole in the fuselage. Her ribs were cracked, but the pain couldn't register. All that mattered to her mind was the quantifiable._

 _Two other soldiers carrying their injured allies escaped the wreckage with her. Fourteen people were safely on the grass. 23 were still in the rubble._

 _Winter ordered that six, including herself, go back in. Three more injured were evacuated, but when the third was picked up, the arches of steel groaned._

 _There was a cloud of dust and a spray of blood. When the dust cleared, a pile of metal was visible. An arm jut out. Winter did a headcount, then gently pulled off the glove to confirm her worst fears._

 _A tattoo of card suits lined the tanned wrist. First Lieutenant Lali Duvall. Twenty-seven. No pulse. Dead._

 _Winter held back tears as she once again exited the wreck. She wished she could have done something for the poor officer, but there was no time for recovering the body or laying down flowers._

 _There were 42 in total. 20 soldiers are still in the wreckage, unaccounted for. Six are dead. Sixteen are safe._

 _Five go back in. This time, Winter rests. She imagines the letter she'll write back to Duvall's parents and brothers. She would write about how Duvall was an outstanding soldier and individual, selfless and compassionate and always there to raise spirits with jokes or games, about how she was a natural leader and how Winter had no doubt in her mind that Duvall would be promoted to captain by the year's end – except not anymore, Winter realized. Her papers and grave will list her as a first lieutenant forever. Winter scraps her imaginary letter and starts over. Lali was a wonderful person to be around, smiling and—_

 _More soldiers to count. Three more are saved. Eight people return to the grass. Winter breathed a sigh of relief._

 _Seventeen soldiers in the wreckage. Nineteen soldiers accounted for. Six are dead._

 _Six once again scramble into the ruins. Two injured are quickly picked up and evacuated by three rescuers. The other three prepare to follow, but Winter stopped in her tracks and ordered the others to wait._

" _I heard someone. Stay here."_

 _Cautiously, she moved towards the whimper. Peering through the rubble, Winter saw a small figure shuffle. The other rescuers helped her move the debris aside, creating an opening just wide enough for Winter to crawl through._

 _The figure looked up. In the dim, reddish light, her bright blue eyes seemed to glow._

" _Espinosa, are you alright?"_

 _Espinosa remained silent. Shock and fear had frozen her, no doubt. There was blood on her face, but otherwise, she appeared relatively unharmed. Her huddled pose was voluntary._

 _Winter reached out a hand as she slowly approached the young sergeant. She called to her delicately, as though not to frighten her. "Sapphira, it's okay. You're going to be okay."_

 _The iron walls cracked faintly. Espinosa stayed still, staring at her commander with a paralyzed gaze._

" _Sapphira," Winter said, this time more forcefully. "You need to come with me."_

 _Bright blue eyes continued to bore holes into Winter. She felt out of options. She grabbed Espinosa by the arms and dragged her to the gap in the rubble. The other two soldiers reached to pull her out._

 _A scream was heard. Not human, but metal. Steel screeched and groaned._

 _The gap closed._

 _Winter felt something pool around her. She presumed that Espinosa's arm had been severed, and she was bleeding out. Darkness almost shrouded Winter's vision completely, but those eyes—she knew those gorgeous blue eyes would be the last thing she'd ever see. They soon faded._

 _Staff Sergeant Sapphira Espinosa. Twenty-four._

 _Steel screamed once again. The heat grew unbearable._

" _I'm so sorry, Weiss. I love you."_

 _Captain Winter Schnee. Twenty-eight._

* * *

"Staff Sergeant Sapphira Espinosa."

Weiss's heart dropped. Sergeant Renick paused to look at her, then put on the faintest smile as he turned his head back towards the passing soldiers. "Bluest damn eyes in Atlas."

"Five-foot-one," Weiss sighed, returning Renick's expression, "ten feet of energy."

"First Lieutenant Lali Duvall."

"Brigade record holder for solving a puzzle cube – 52 seconds, don't forget it."

"She was a beast at poker, too. Smart one, that girl."

The two went through the list like that, replacing negative feelings of the present with good ones of the past.

"Private First Class Orrin O'Day."

Weiss joined him in the next sentence. "Eighteen years old." Her age. She had only met him a few times, but they became fast friends. "Baseball fan, coffee lover, sweet tooth. I always messaged him if I needed a laugh." Her voice threatened to crack. Such a young life, taken. It was almost unfathomable. Eighteen years was such a short time to be on this Earth, she knew. Promises were yet to be fulfilled, dreams yet to be achieved. It was likely he wasn't even done growing yet. Weiss soon found herself curled up on the ground, unable to find the energy to cry.

* * *

Sleep refused to take Weiss that night. Her gaze was fixed on the hypnotic spin of the ceiling fan, its quiet hum suddenly noticeable. Everything refused to make sense. A support unit on the front lines. An airship shot down where it should have been safe. Questions plagued Weiss's mind, and the hours she was supposed to sleep felt like minutes.

At around five in the morning, Weiss heard a faint thud from outside the window. Newspaper delivery. She threw off the covers and went to retrieve it. The frost on the grass numbed her feet as she picked up the paper.

" _GENERAL'S STATEMENT,"_ read the headline. " _General James Ironwood apologizes, taking blame for the airship crash that killed 19 soldiers."_

Weiss spoke aloud. "I…Ironwood?" She squinted to read the smaller print of the article.

" _Ironwood spoke of the tragedy" –_ That it was, thought Weiss – " _at a conference last night. In his statement, he apologized. "I failed to give a command in time," Ironwood said. "Nineteen of my soldiers would still be here with us today had I not trapped them in enemy territory." The funeral for the soldiers was held on Wednesday."_

The paper crumpled beneath Weiss's grip. This was preventable. This was _all_ preventable. She stared in shock. Ironwood's actions were beyond inexcusable. This was beyond incompetence, and the apology was beyond insufficient, Weiss thought. That general should be charged with nineteen counts of neglectful manslaughter, his rank stripped and reputation tarnished. Even Weiss's thinking voice was thrown into a rage. All her feelings of depression and despair had been replaced with uninhibited fury. She imagined her sister practically begging for orders as a turret found the time to aim. This didn't need to happen. This _shouldn't_ have happened.

Weiss went back inside, but only briefly. She packed up and ran. A note was left, but aside from that, Weiss didn't turn back. She didn't know where she was running, but she knew who she was running to.


	3. Chapter 3

A small object seemed bent on refusing to sit comfortably on the inside of Weiss's peacoat. Although its pin faced away from her skin, the rough fabric of the ribbon and the jagged design of the silver medal made its presence apparent against the thin material of Weiss's dress.

Weiss did not mind, however. If the Star of Valor was going to irritate her, so be it.

With a ribbon proudly striped navy, white, and gold, the Star of Valor was the final award bestowed unto Captain Schnee, and the final item Weiss collected before she left. It had been presented to Weiss's father privately the day before. Most importantly, the Star of Valor was the second-most prestigious award in the Atlesian Army.

It was an award for gallantry in combat, of course. The small piece of silver and cloth could never even begin to cover what had been lost, but it could grant Weiss one of the few things that brought her comfort: reassurance. Winter would go down in history for her actions if they were enough to warrant such a significant award. She would be remembered.

For Weiss, that was enough to persevere through the bitter wind and snow.

She knew her goal. She came to her conclusion after she left, but it was now clear.

* * *

Ruby's eyes scanned the note over and over, as if rereading it would change its contents.

" _I can't do this anymore. I can't keep getting stronger to fight for the same man who killed my sister with neglect. I'm so sorry, I just can't._

 _-Weiss"_

Weiss's handwriting was sloppy, and a few broken pieces of lead were left strewn on the paper. It was so disturbingly unlike her.

Ruby pondered where Weiss could possibly run to, only to be interrupted by heavy footsteps. She had woken up before Weiss's father, but not before Klein.

"Mr. Klein!" Ruby ran up to the butler. "She's gone! She ran!"

Klein took the letter from Ruby's hand, read it, and immediately ran upstairs to wake up his master.

Ruby slumped down on one of the kitchen chairs. _I can't keep getting stronger to fight for the same man who killed my sister with neglect._ What was Weiss going to do? Fight against Ironwood?

Ruby's eyes widened. That's _exactly_ what Weiss would do.

* * *

Frost gripped Weiss's fingers so intensely that the cold began to burn. The sight of the airfield's building was blurred in her vision. Despite it all, her legs kept moving.

She had to fight with the wind to open the airfield lobby door. The building's heating was such a contrast to the outdoors that she began to sweat. A display on the wall gave the weather: 17 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of 5. Weiss initially thought her usual winter gloves and leggings would be enough, but she had now realized her mistake. Hindsight was 20/20.

The clock read 12:23pm. Weiss had hiked seven miles over five hours.

After removing her gloves, scarf, and earmuffs, she was relieved to see no signs of frostnip. She let her hands warm as she spoke with the lobby attendant.

"A one-way ride to Vale Airport, please."

The attendant wasn't going to question her. Business was business. "We'll set up a ship for you, Miss Schnee. Your flight should leave in thirty minutes."

"Thank you."

Weiss slumped down on a couch. This wasn't the right decision. She knew that. The right decision was to stay home and let the despair pass on. Sometimes, though, the right decision isn't the best one.

A cooling sensation took Weiss from her thoughts. She almost forgot about the Star of Valor. She opened her jacket to look at it once again. The entire situation still felt surreal, but the medal was a constant reminder that this wasn't a dream. Flipping it over, Weiss ran her finger over the engraving on the back.

 _For a hero whose strength was given so that others may live._

Weiss had read the short inscription a dozen times, but the only words that ever stuck in her head were "hero" and "strength"; two words that any soldier or hunter sought to have bestowed onto them. Even so, the words had begun to irritate Weiss. Heroism took away the one she loved most. Strength only led to heroism. Countless hours of Weiss's life were spent getting stronger, but for what? To serve under the same man who killed nineteen people through neglect? To fight for the system that forgets its Hunters are people?

Of course, that's what soldiers sign up for. It's always a gamble to fight for a cause. What made Weiss furious, however was the leadership. This wasn't the first time she heard of entire airships being attacked, let alone the first she heard of this many soldiers dying at once, and it was always Atlas's soldiers. After so many travesties, why hasn't anything changed? Didn't anyone learn from their mistakes? Weiss had never heard of Vale's army going through things like this. Or Mistral's army. Or Vacuo's militia. The most advanced military in the world, losing troops faster than anyone else…

Weiss didn't even remember getting on the airship. She continued to be lost in thought as the clouds scrolled past her. Either because of an unexpected nap or a trance of contemplation, Weiss felt that the flight seemed to be far too brief. She peered out of the window as the airship alit on the runway.

Off in the distance, Beacon was still in ruins. It was surprising that the Vale Airport even allowed for casual arrivals, but it wasn't like a small airship was going to interfere with the cargo ships flying in a constant stream of supplies.

With the crunch of gravel beneath her feet, Weiss walked out towards the rubble of Beacon.

* * *

A wavering figured lurked off in the dusty fog. It stumbled and trudged; desperately searching and hopelessly wandering.

Emerald carefully approached the silhouette, hands on her weapons.

Ponytail, rapier, peacoat. Weiss Schnee.

Emerald charged forward. Weiss blocked the strikes with her hands, but did not retaliate. The strikes continued, and Weiss's guard weakened more and more.

The attacks ceased. Weiss's arms fell to her side. Everything about her felt distressingly unfamiliar. Her pride and honor was gone. She rubbed her eyes and finally spoke. "I want to see Cinder."

Keeping her distance, Emerald stared in confusion.

Weiss asserted her demand. "I want to talk with Cinder."

"...Why?"

Looking at the ground, Weiss's voice quelled to a mumble. "I want to avenge her…"

"Her-?"

Weiss's voice grew clear. She looked up. "I want to fight Ironwood."

Emerald shook her head. "Are you trying to trick me? I'm smarter than that, you know."

"I'm not lying!"

The gap between the two shrunk.

"I promise, I want to fight for you. I…" Weiss sighed out her pride. "I understand."

Emerald took a closer look at Weiss just then. Her eyes were red and tired. Something awful must have happened to drive her to this state.

Weiss noticed the sorrowful way Emerald began to look at her. She turned her head so that the mercenary wouldn't be able to see her face. "I don't want your pity," Weiss hissed. "Save it."

Before Emerald could step back, Weiss spoke with a tone clear and sharp as glass.

"I'm going to destroy everyone who left my sister to die."

Emerald tentatively reached for her scroll, ready to call in her partner. Weiss grabbed her arm.

"Cinder can help me. Please, please, just let me talk to her..."

Finally giving in, Emerald decided to hear her out. "What do you mean?"

"I understand why… why you hate them," Weiss began." They say they're the good guys, masquerading around with their guns and toys, but they don't care about us." She met Emerald's eyes, a fire burning in them. "And they have to pay."

A silence. Weiss wasn't finished. She took a deep, shaking breath.

"My sister... my world... was taken from me... She's going to be replaced. Just a chess piece."

"Weiss-"

"I'm sick of this game. They can't just use us like this. I need Cinder because she's the only one who sees them for what they are."

"...Very well." With a quick nod, Emerald sent a message to her team: "We're going to have a visitor."

* * *

Cinder's presence was as intimidating as ever. She leaned casually in her chair, maintaining her eye contact with Weiss. "So, tell me," she began, "what does a former huntress-in-training want with me? Is this some master plan to get revenge for your friend?"

Though it was clear she was being provoked, Weiss kept her poise. Allowing Cinder to get the best of her would cost her even more than she had already lost. Part of that pride was from back when Winter was still alive. Weiss buried it.

"I want to join you."

The words hung in the air. Emerald managed to hide her shock, but Mercury was fuming. Cinder, in her usual ways, simply smiled. "What could've brought this little change around? Did Daddy cut you off again? Or..." As her fingers curled, Cinder's expression turned serious. "...is it something to do with a certain sister?"

Of course she'd bring up Winter. She knew.

"They used her." Weiss dug her nails into her palms as emotion found its way into her voice. "They're using all of us. I won't stand around and let myself or anyone else become another nameless pawn!"

Cinder looked amused. "That's quite idealistic of you, Schnee. Do you seriously believe I wouldn't treat you as just as much as a pawn?" Straightening up in her seat, she continues to push Weiss's nerves. "Power is the real deciding factor in this. I've got the power, so I make the rules. Either way, you're just a tool to use at my disposal."

Sweat began to bead on Weiss's face. Internally, she scolded herself. How could she be so stupid? Cinder wouldn't just accept her… would she?

She let her head fall back for a moment, took a deep breath, and met Cinder's eyes again. "Will my death be because of neglect and hesitation? Will you tell my father it was some big sacrifice? Will you give him a tiny piece of bronze and cloth that's supposed to make it all better?!" Her voice threatened to break by the last sentence.

Cinder realized now exactly what happened. Ironwood made one of his famous mistakes again - one Weiss, and the entire Schnee family, will never forget, and never forgive. Weiss is being entirely driven by revenge; she has nothing to lose. What better subordinate than her?

"I can't promise you'll live, but I can promise that I never hesitate. You think you're the first person here to be wronged by society? Emerald was a street thief who only stole to live. Mercury was almost killed by his own father."

Weiss took a sympathetic look at Cinder's underlings. After thinking for a moment, the realization hit her like a truck. For what she was about to say, she couldn't continue to put on a brave face. She looked down.

"Pyrrha... Pyrrha wouldn't be dead if she was treated like a human being."

The sense of revenge was stronger than Cinder initially thought. Now, Weiss wasn't just fighting for her sister, she was fighting for every person who was wrongly killed by Sanctum. What a powerful underling she could be.

Silence hangs heavy over the room. Weiss was staring at her feet, unable to face anyone. Emerald and Mercury glanced between her and Cinder, curious to see the latter's reaction. Cinder smiled again, but it's a different this time. It transformed her face into something warm and reassuring, almost motherly.

"You're right, she would be. Sanctum sees you as nothing but replaceable." Her tone drew Weiss's eyes. Cinder, her voice warm and soft, continued to speak.  
"Join me, and no one will have to suffer that fate again. With me, you can save your friends from meeting your sister's fate."

Weiss's brow furrowed. "T-That's right. My friends..."

That last line solidified in Weiss's mind, and Cinder knew she gained a follower that day. She reached up, and gently hold Weiss's shoulder before speaking.

"You're making the right decision. Go, sleep. Emerald will show you where to go."


	4. Chapter 4

Weiss and Emerald walked to a room laid out like a single dorm. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't cramped. It was… cozy, almost.

"Sorry if the bed's a bit small," Emerald said. "The girl who used to have this room was only four-foot-five. She'd make even you seem like a giant!"

Weiss gave a nervous but genuine laugh. Engaging in banter with someone who was once sworn to ending you wasn't an easy situation, but the attempt at lightening the mood was appreciated.

Emerald watched as Weiss got accustomed to her surroundings. The way she dragged her feet, the way she stared off into space... This girl wasn't just grieving; she was almost broken. Her sister must have meant everything to her. Were her parents truly so neglectful that she grew closest with a sister that was seldom there?

Quiet still filled the room as Weiss sat on the bed. Emerald took a seat next to her new teammate. Awkward tension filled the room as they both struggled to find the words to break the silence.

"Y'know, I never had anyone growing up," Emerald admitted. "It was just me, all alone in the big city. That's why I had to steal to survive."

It was a small admission, but it eased Weiss's tension. She gave a small smile before speaking.

"I have a mother, father, older sister, and younger brother. Seems like a lot, but my father only cares about my brother, and my mother's always drunk. My brother never liked me or my sister. Sometimes, it really felt like me and Winter against the world." A choked feeling rose in Weiss's throat.

With Weiss's emotions on the brink of spilling over, Emerald lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything if it's too hard for you."

Weiss's mouth opened as if to say something, but instead, she threw herself away from Emerald, burying her face into the pillow. Cautiously, Emerald shifted closer to the girl. The sound of extremely heavy exhales escaped the muting of the pillow, and they were strong enough to cause Weiss's body to shake.

This wasn't an unfamiliar sight for Emerald. When Mercury first joined the team, he wasn't much different. At night, Emerald could her him crying in his bunk. Even if Weiss was once under the command of everything Emerald fought against, she was still a person. If the two were to now fight side-by-side, there was no point holding back compassion.

"It's okay, Weiss. You can let out all you need to. I'm here for you now. Understand?"

Weiss stopped moving, but didn't respond.

"Understand?" Emerald repeated.

After another moment, Weiss gave a muffled affirmative.

Rhythmic clacking down the hallway alerted Emerald of Cinder's approach. Without hesitating, Cinder walked right into the bedroom and up to the bed.

Cinder gestured to Emerald to leave, and gently placed a hand on Weiss's head. With a nod of her head, Emerald exited, leaving Weiss and Cinder alone.

The door shut.

"Poor child," Cinder cooed, running her fingers through Weiss's hair. "What kind of sick organization would reduce a young girl to this?"

Weiss somehow found the energy to openly sob.

With a soft voice, Cinder continued. "I know, I know. Sanctum is everything you've ever known. This will not be an easy transition."

After a few more minutes of crying, Weiss finally calmed down enough for Cinder to get in a few more words.

"Come, Weiss. Sit up."

Weiss did as told, her reddened eyes meeting Cinder's. Despite everything, there was something… compassionate in the gaze of the Fall Maiden. "You're…" She struggled to find the words. "Going to take care of me… right?"

"Of course. You will become a stalwart ally of our cause. However, you must understand that you are to leave your past behind you. Your friends are now your enemies, Weiss."

"Leave…" Weiss rubbed one of her eyes. "My past behind me?"

Cinder's stare hardened into complete seriousness. "Your teammates are allies no more. Your friends are now your enemies," she repeated. "You need to accept that. Your new partners are Emerald and Mercury. I need you to disconnect yourself from everything you know except your disdain for the system that killed your sister."

Silence hung over the room for a few moments as Weiss processed everything she just heard. Leave behind everything? It made enough sense, but… after everything her teammates had done for her? If it was for Winter, then maybe…

"Do you understand, Weiss?"

Weiss nodded.

* * *

Ruby didn't leave the house after she found Weiss's note. She immediately brought it to Weiss's father, who was already grieving enough. The following days were painfully quiet in the Schnee household. Jacques Schnee worked himself to exhaustion in the daytime, and went off to the office in the nighttime, doing everything he could to distract himself from the loss of both his daughters.

Ruby wasn't even sure if Jacques realized she was still there until he approached her with one message: "Find her."

Eyes staring past Jacques and fixated on the door, Ruby nodded her head. "I'll do everything I can."

Ruby wandered out the manor, trying to plan out everything as she went along. Plan A was to find Blake. With the communications tower down, however, locating her lost friend would be not only incredibly difficult, but dangerous. There had to be another option; time was running out.

After a few more minutes of aimless walking, Ruby had an idea that she berated herself for not thinking of first - The Atlesian army. Ruby mentally went through the list of soldiers that Weiss as mentioned to her at one point or another. There was Espinosa, Duvall, O'Day, Laska… all dead. Of all the soldiers she knew of, only one was still alive: Sergeant Renick, but how could he possibly have the energy to go out on another mission after such a tragedy? It was unlikely he'd agree, but Ruby knew she had to go over to the base and at least try.

Now with a sense of direction in her mind, Ruby set out for real.

* * *

A dorm-style room and generic bedsheets. It was all so painfully familiar. Even the radiator had the same sound as the one back in Beacon.

Weiss jolted awake. She looked at the clock.

11:30pm. Blake's self-imposed bedtime. An imagined _click_ of the lamp turning off and _fwoosh_ of the blanket intruded Weiss's mind.

Just as quickly as she had woken up, Weiss drifted back to sleep.

 _Thump_.

3:13am. Yang usually got up to use the bathroom around this time. Her fault for drinking a full bottle of water before bed.

Then there was Ruby. She was always the least predictable. Constantly tossing in her sleep, it was only a matter of time before she created a creak in the bed, or, on bad nights, simply fell onto the floor. That usually elicited a laugh from everyone.

Of course, at this moment, no one was there.

The next morning, Weiss pulled out her newly formatted scroll. It was still early. Maybe no one would notice if she just put in a couple numbers she remembered. She wasn't even going to call those numbers, she only needed that added comfort.

Three, seven, five. The area code for Patch. Seven, six, four- or was it seven, four, six? The latter sounded more correct.

A hollow slam reverberated through the room. This sound was real.

Weiss's scroll was snatched out of her hand in an instant. Cinder held it up to confirm her suspicions.

"Trying to call home, are we?"

Weiss scrambled to the corner, stammering an unintelligible response.

Cinder crept closer to her. "I gave you _one_ instruction: disconnect yourself from what you know. If words won't work-"

A scraping kick to the shin sent Weiss to the ground.

Cinder raised her foot. "-Violence will."

Stabbing pain raced through Weiss's abdomen as Cinder slammed her heel down into her side. Weiss screamed through kicks and stomps for what felt like hours, and they weren't going to end until Cinder got what she wanted.

Pleads for help were caught in Weiss's throat. _Ruby! Blake! Yang!_

Finally, the words came out.

"Ruby! _Help me!"_

The strikes only grew more intense.

"Blake!"

A futile cry.

"Yang-!"

Her voice was cut off again, as was her breath. She was suddenly off the ground, a hand grasping her throat. With a forceful shove, Weiss slammed against the wall and slumped to the ground.

Weiss allowed a rasp to escape her. "Winter…"

A sharp kick across the face drew a heavy stream of blood. Cinder twisted her heel against the bony parts of Weiss's chest with her other foot. "Your sister is _dead_. Your team is _gone_."

Cinder's words never registered over the panic of Weiss's thoughts. A certain sight, however, did. It was a quick flash in the corner of her eye, but Weiss knew who it was.

"Emerald!"

The kicks stopped. Emerald rushed over to Weiss's side.

Cinder backed away. "Well done, Schnee. When I told you to leave your past behind, I meant it. These are your _primary_ allies now; you will call upon them _first_. I'd hate to have another incident like this."

Using hand gestures, Emerald told Cinder to leave the poor girl be for now.

* * *

With a firm tug, Emerald finished tightening the bandage around Weiss's leg. The scrape never bled too badly, but it had one nasty bruise around it. She moved on to the next wound. "Hey, Merc, can you pass me the disinfectant? I don't like how this cut looks."

"Alright, here you go, Mommy," Mercury snickered. "Don't forget to kiss the boo-boo."

Emerald gave Mercury a playful push on the shoulder. "Hey! I wasn't the one who gave Neo a pat on the head every morning!"

Laughing to hide his embarrassment, Mercury threw the tube of disinfectant at Emerald.

Weiss's emotions at the moment were still confused, but she always knew deep down that her enemies were people, too. She decided to giggle at the banter.

Unscrewing the cap to the disinfectant, Emerald mused at Weiss's laughter. "Guess you're feeling a bit better now?"

Weiss was still smiling. "Yeah."

"Glad to hear. I know it's not easy, but we're going to take care of you. Right, Merc?"

Mercury's expression was softer than Weiss could ever imagine. "Of course. You're one of us now."


	5. Chapter 5

"I got three jacks."

"I'm calling your bluff!"

"Hah! You got me. I'll fold."

Corporal Oriol Soler had just lay down his hand of cards when Sergeant Renick strode into the lounge.

"Afternoon, everyone," Sergeant Renick began. "You all playing poker?"

"Yep!" Corporal Soler held out the deck or cards. "Wanna join, First Sergeant? We hear you're pretty good."

"Nah, I don't…" Renick looked aside. "I don't play anymore." With a small sigh, the sergeant took to issuing the day's orders. Despite his experience, everything still felt otherworldly. He was still the senior enlisted advisor of Company B, 258th Air Support Battalion. He was still a first sergeant. He was still 35 years old.

"Incoming call from Fort Vermell on line three." New signals operator. Corporal Laska always had a weird nasal quality to his voice, but the new guy had a rasp.

"Hey, did you check under here?" New flight mechanic. Espinosa's short stature was helpful for getting into those hard-to-reach areas.

Renick absentmindedly wandered back to the office. New first lieutenant. New captain. Both were wonderful people, but of course, no one could replace Duvall and Schnee.

* * *

 _With her sister and her first sergeant by her side, Winter proudly watched the conclusion of the month's commissioning ceremony._

" _Duvall looks quite dashing in that officer's uniform, don't you think?"_

 _Renick nodded as he looked on. "That, she does."_

 _The newly commissioned second lieutenant was busy teaching her younger brothers the proper way to pin her new rank onto her shoulders._

" _Hey, Captain!" Duvall called out as Winter and Weiss approached her. She put a hand on her youngest brother's back. "Niko, go say hello to Weiss."_

 _Tentatively, Niko approached Weiss, who was a couple years older than he was. Lali's stature was clearly a shared family trait - Niko was only 13 and already towered over Weiss. Conversation was sparse and awkward, but it passed the time._

 _Meanwhile, Renick and Winter decided to catch up with the new lieutenant. Officer Candidate School was twelve weeks long. Winter remembered going through it after all her cadet training at Atlas Academy, but there was no doubt Duvall would have some bizarre tales to tell._

 _With all her wild gesturing and slightly-too-loud delivery, it was clear that despite the intensive training, Duvall hadn't changed much. She had stories about her instructors, her classmates, the schedule… she even made writing an essay sound entertaining._

 _Winter listened with a smile on her face, but it wasn't solely one of amusement. There was a distinct love in there. Winter had watched this soldier grow for the past six years, from private to sergeant to commissioned officer. Renick considered it part of Winter's nature as an older sister. She gave the same advice to Weiss as she did to her younger soldiers._

 _Know your goals._

 _Take charge of your fate._

 _Train with confidence._

 _Never give up on those you cherish._

* * *

" _Lieutenant Duvall, you don't need to go back into the wreckage!"_

" _Espinosa is still in there. I'm not going to lose her, too. I have to go. Sorry, sarge."_

" _Duvall, it's alright-"_

" _If Schnee is going, so am I. You're going to stay here. That's a direct order."_

" _...Yes, ma'am."_

* * *

Renick didn't remember walking outside. He came back to reality from the rush of smashing his head against the brick wall. As he blinked the stars in his eyes away and walked around the corner, he noticed a small figure approach him.

"Are you First Sergeant Renick?" asked a high-pitched voice.

Who allowed a child on base? "Yeah, that's me. What do you need, kid?"

"I'm Weiss Schnee's friend. My name is Ruby."

"Oh?" Renick checked his forehead for blood as he regained his composure. "How is Little Corporal doing?"

"Please, you need to help her!"

"Help-?"

Ruby grabbed at Renick's sleeve. "She ran! She just left a note and ran! I need to find her before-"

"Woah, slow down there." Renick placed his hands on Ruby's shoulders. Those pleading eyes looked so familiar. "Tell me what happened."

Swallowing the sharp pain in her throat, Ruby spoke, haltingly recounting the events of the past few days. "Please, you have to help!"

"Poor kid..." The first sergeant gave a heavy sigh.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"I'll ask my officers to assemble a few of the troops and do everything under my power to accompany you on a mission. I'd hate to see anything else bad happen to Little Schnee. She's already been through so much."

Ruby threw her arms around the sergeant. "Thank you so much!"

Renick flinched at the sudden hug, but accepted it. This kid was deeply upset, and he wasn't about to let her down. Not when Little Schnee's life could be on the line.

* * *

Ice shards flew through the air with the speed of a bullet. Of the six that were fired, only one missed the center of the target.

"It's not enough…"

Weiss's hair was plastered to her forehead from sweat. She whispered to herself once again.

"It's still not enough..."

A cry of exertion rang out as Weiss fired another round of ice shards from her sword. Falling to her knees, Weiss continued murmuring to herself. She needed to be stronger. Strong like the soldiers, the very same ones she looked up to, very same ones Ironwood claimed to care for so much. It didn't matter how little rest, food, or water she got. Pain wasn't relevant. Weiss was going to go as far as the spirit of vengeance carried her.

"Never give up on those you cherish…"

Weiss tried to rise to her feet, only to find herself face-down on the ground. The floor had been slicked by sweat and ice. Cursing, Weiss lifted her head, and a faint orange light from the window caught her eye. The sun was rising. Finally acknowledging her own exhaustion, Weiss lay down her head.

Her rest didn't last long, however. Within a few minutes, Weiss felt someone gently place a hand on her shoulder. She tried to respond to the contact, but she didn't even have enough energy for words, and her left hand began to sting fiercely.

"God, Weiss, what did you do to yourself?"

That was Emerald's voice.

"Look at your hand..."

Weiss took a moment to open her eyes and focus on what was in front of her. Oozing blisters dominated the surface of her palm. The more she looked at the mess, the more it hurt.

"Weiss, how long have you been here?"

"...I don't know. What time is it?"

Emerald checked her watch. "It's 6:45am."

Weiss let her hand fall to the cold floor in hopes of some relief. "Ten hours. I..."

"Ten?!"

"I need to get stronger. That's what Cinder wants. If I'm stronger, we can work together to defeat Ironwood..."

Emerald scooped up Weiss and helped her back on her feet. "Cinder doesn't like it when her subordinates are tired."

Gracelessly, Weiss limped to her room. It was a disturbing sight: bandaged leg, bruised arms, messy hair, and now a bright red palm, covered in searing blisters that have long since opened. Hopefully, the medicine cabinet still had that disinfectant; Weiss would need it.

* * *

Steam clouded the bathroom mirror. With a quick swipe, Weiss could see herself. Though it was slightly distorted by the remaining water, the details of the reflection were apparent, quickly growing clearer.

The dark circles under her bloodshot eyes stood out first. Then, the red spots and lines on her face, subconsciously scratched into existence. The scrape from Cinder's heel- a reminder that this indeed was reality- lined her forehead. Her cheeks were still flush from the hot shower, and her muscles ached, and then there was her hand- the disaster on her palm; what was left of it, anyway.

Weiss left the bathroom and got dressed, but returned soon after. Even though she had gone through her normal morning routine, that reflection still didn't show the person Weiss was used to seeing. A stranger in the mirror.

A light knock on the door was followed by Cinder's entrance. She noticed Weiss lost in her trance, and put a hand on her shoulder to shake her out of it.

"Are you thinking about your sister, Weiss?"

Weiss didn't need a reminder of why she was here. She shook her head. "No, it's just… I wonder if I'm doing the right thing."

Cinder looked into the mirror, where Weiss was still staring. "Well," she said, pointing at the gauges on the girl's face , "Destroying yourself certainly isn't the right thing to do."

Finally pulling her gaze away from the mirror, Weiss spoke. "...Why are you here, Cinder? Why did you start your fight?"

"For the same reason as you. I too have been wronged by the kingdoms and their huntsmen."

The way Cinder looked down at that moment, the pain on her face… she looked truly vulnerable. Weiss never imagined she'd see her like this, and yet…

"Just a few short years ago, I was once a huntress, trained just like any other," Cinder continued. "My team, Team N-C-K-L. Nickel. Other kids laughed at the team name, but that was okay, we knew it was funny. We laughed with them. We had a logo that said 'Five Cents," and we put it on our weapons, our door…"

Weiss could have sworn she heard Cinder's voice crack, just barely.

Cinder took Weiss to the desk in adjacent bedroom, and found a sticky note and a pen. Quickly, as though practiced hundreds of times, she drew the symbol. An interlocking "5" and "c," with the team's initials written around the "c."

It was childish, really, but charming. "It…" Weiss chose her words carefully. "It sounds like you really had fun as a huntress-in-training. What happened to your team, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's fine. I've told the story enough times. It was a night mission, one from Ozpin. The goal was simple: free a village from a raid of Grimm. If we needed help, we'd call for reinforcements. The horde of Grimm grew larger, and I hid so I could use the radio. I called over and over, shouted, but the reinforcements never arrived. The battle lasted until dawn. When the dust settled, Kou and Luna were dead. My leader, Neil, he and I survived, but… he was never the same."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I never considered that you had…" Weiss trailed off, realizing the apathy of what she was about to say.

"A team? Friends who I loved? Something beyond a lust for power? A lot of people think that." A familiar half-smile grew on Cinder's face. "Maybe it's how I act."

Weiss looked for the proper words, only to find none.

"It's okay. I let people think that. They fear me, and that's what I need the most."

* * *

Again and again, Weiss found herself transfixed on the small drawing left on her desk. It was simple, yet weaved a story in Weiss's mind, filled with thoughts she couldn't escape.

It always seemed like Cinder was after something so much more abstract- power or chaos, something that couldn't be understood and was easy to oppose. Not justice. Not a better world.

Not for the loved ones who were taken from her.

At Beacon, it was taught again and again that "life was not a fairy tale," but it did seem like one. There were heroes and villains, sometimes there were struggles the heroes faced, but they prevailed in the end. No good deed went unrewarded. People died in grand, memorable fashion, memorialized and written in history. Everything was clear-cut and had a definite end result.

And yet, the very embodiment of that oft-repeated lesson was the villain in a fairy tale spun by Beacon.


	6. Chapter 6

"Why can't we find her? Why is this taking so long?"

"This is the twelfth town we checked. She's just not in Atlas, kid."

Ruby spun around to face the soldier as the anger bubbled up. "Then where do _you_ think we should look?"

Sergeant Linnea Falk glared down at the small huntress-in-training. Her eyes were a warm hue of pink, but her gaze was like ice. " _Excuse me?"_

Trying her best to fight the urge to shrink away, Ruby spoke again, her voice now more controlled. "Do you have any other idea as to where Weiss would be?"

Sergeant Falk turned to her partner. "Callahan, you going to tell her?"

"Brutal honesty is your thing," Sergeant Farran Callahan replied. "I know I'm technically the senior here, but it's on you."

"Fine," said Falk. She once again looked down at Ruby. "Your friend isn't here because these aren't the people she wants to associate with anymore."

Ruby's head cocked to the side. "What are you saying?"

"Look." Falk pulled out her notebook and flipped through it, reading one page verbatim. " _Person of Interest: Cinder Fall. History: Fall is a known enemy of Atlas. Research shows that Fall was once a student at Beacon Academy who had two teammates KIA on a mission on 12-October-2009. Fall disenrolled after the incident and vowed revenge on the Academies. She has been confirmed responsible for the Attack on Beacon 29-September-2015. Fall is extremely powerful and dangerous."_ Snapping her notebook shut, Falk continued. "We were all issued this information a week after the attacks on Beacon. Atlas enemy number one."

"I… I still don't follow."

Falk took a deep breath. "Kid, your friend isn't out to _help_ Atlas, she's out to _hurt_ it. And this person was probably her top choice of destination. Much as it hurts, you have to accept that-"

"No!" Ruby interjected. "Weiss would never hurt people like that!"

"She went _rogue_!"

"I won't believe it!"

Now furious at this kid's stubbornness, Falk roughly grabbed Ruby's shoulders. "Your judgements have gotten us _nowhere!_ How could you be so-!"

Falk stopped herself when she felt someone pulling her away.

"Easy, now." Callahan held his partner's arms firmly and waited for her to relax before stepping in her place.

Ruby was slightly shaken by Falk's aggressive actions. "Weiss j-just isn't like that, I swear, she would never-"

"Listen, Ruby," Callahan began, "we can't keep up this wild goose chase. It's not going to work. We need to figure out where Weiss will attack, then we can-"

"She wouldn't do that! I _know_ her!"

Falk couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer. "We _all_ know her. We all knew _Winter_. We knew Winter adored her sister more than anything in the world. We know how much Weiss loved her back. Do you seriously think she'd just _get over that?_ Go curl up in a corner? If you know her, you should know how strong her drive is. She's not going to rest until she feels justice has been done."

An uncomfortable silence held thick in the air.

It dissipated when Falk spoke again. "...S-Sorry."

"Don't apologize," a new voice said.

Falk turned to see First Sergeant Rennick standing behind her.

"She needed this."

The young huntress-in-training was looking at the ground. That sergeant couldn't be entirely right. She just couldn't. Weiss would never back from a fight, but… why like this? Why _now_? Weiss hated hurting people who didn't hurt her first. Everyone joins Beacon to keep others safe, always defend, never attack. Never kill the innocent. But...

"...Kid?"

Suddenly, Ruby dropped to her knees.

What did _innocent_ mean to Weiss anymore?

Ruby threw a fist into the ground. It felt… cathartic. Again and again, skin met asphalt, until blood could be seen forming a small, splattered puddle. How could she be so dense? So naive? So _stupid_ and blindly optimistic to believe that Weiss would just _get over this?_

Eventually, Ruby switched to a sitting position, putting her face in her scraped hands.

* * *

So Ruby threw her fit. She didn't cry or scream, but the blood on her hands told enough of a story.

Weiss was gone. Nothing was the same. It couldn't be denied any longer.

Optimism couldn't always win.

It took some time for Ruby to collect herself. The others busied themselves by studying maps and engaging in some awkward smalltalk. Sergeant Falk was particularly mobile, pacing around with her hands stuffed in her jacket. She stopped when she felt a tap on the back of her calf.

"Pockets," Callahan said quietly.

 _Don't put your hands in your pockets_. It was a rule ingrained into even the newest of recruits. Sighing, Falk mentally berated herself for forgetting something so basic, then crossed her arms.

It was clear something was bothering her, Callahan thought. He motioned for his partner to sit down next to her. "Something's on your mind, Falk," he stated matter-of-factly.

Falk remained standing. "It's nothing."

"Linnea."

The way he said her first name always had an effect on her. It was stern, yet compassionate. Falk untensed her shoulders and slumped down next to Callahan. "It's that kid," she said.

"What about her?"

"She's got me thinking about those academies. You know, I got…" Falk sighed again. "I got two little siblings at Atlas Academy. Twins. Good hearts. But when I hear Ruby talk, I can't help thinking about… " She trailed off, fixated on the young girl still recovering from her nonverbal tantrum.

Callahan recovered her fumble. "Thinking about whether they'll end up like her?"

"Yeah." Falk stretched her arms. "I don't want them to see the world like this. What are those academies teaching them? Do they indoctrinate every one of those students with this bullshit naivety?"

"Language."

"Shut up."

" _Linnea."_ A more firm delivery than last time.

"These kids are supposed to be our greatest protectors, but they're marching straight to their untimely deaths," said Falk, voice threatening to break. "I don't want them to die!" She let her head fall on Callahan's shoulder, and then spoke quietly. "I don't want _us_ to die. Not because our own protectors have been taught that they're invincible heroes..."

Routinely, Callahan would have scolded her for such unprofessional contact, but he could tell his partner needed this. Her siblings were learning under the watch of General Ironwood, the same man whose incompetence and negligence killed her captain, her lieutenant, and seventeen other comrades. The two sergeants had barely made it out themselves - the mental image of Falk's nose and mouth covered in a mess of fresh blood as smoke surrounded her was something Callahan would not soon forget. She still bore a gash from the incident, stretching from above her lip to her cheekbone. It was stitched up, but was sure to scar.

It was no wonder she was even more irritable than usual. Every time she looked in the mirror, all she'd see was a bright-red reminder of everything that ate at her peace of mind.

By this point, Ruby had collected her bearings and was listening in on the two sergeants' conversation. Her emotions threatened to take over once again, but this time it was through rising tears rather than a flaring temper.

Being a huntress meant protecting everyone. The last thing she wanted in life was to be the source of someone's pain.

Ruby stood up, face now free of distress. She signaled the small group's attention.

"Everyone, we're staying in Atlas. We need to find General Ironwood."

* * *

A glowing white glyph formed as Weiss concentrated her energy. Her back was straight at the rapier she pointed.

 _Excellent form! Now think to your fallen foes! The ones who forced you to push past where you were, and become who you are now._

Summoning had always been a struggle. Maybe the semblance wasn't perfectly hereditary after all. Maybe Weiss just wasn't good enough-

 _Stop doubting yourself!_

Right. No more doubt. It's what Winter would have wanted.

Weiss took a deep breath. "For Winter…"

She thought to the monsters she had defeated; the giant armor, the Boarbatusk, the Nevermore. She closed her eyes and let those memories fill her mind.

But when she opened her eyes, there was nothing but the same spinning glyph. It vanished as Weiss threw her rapier to the ground in frustration. Following the clang of metal against the floor, the sound of heeled footsteps was heard.

Cinder's voice was calm as usual. "Is something wrong here?"

"I'm supposed to be able to summon monsters I've defeated," Weiss began, picking up her rapier. "My sister can, my mother can, my grandfather… you get the idea. But I still can't do it! I've only been able to summon once, and it was under extreme pressure."

"You've been here for two weeks now. This is the first I'm hearing of this."

Weiss looked aside. "I didn't want to- I thought it would-." She took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "It reminded me to much of my sister, I was afraid my emotions would get in the way."

A caring hand was placed on Weiss's cheek. "You poor thing… I can help you, but it won't be easy," Cinder said, looking into Weiss's tired gaze. "Do you trust me?"

"I…" Searching Cinder's eyes, Weiss found something soothing, something warm she could cling to. "I trust you."

"Very good." Cinder moved her hand to Weiss's shoulder, turning her to face the center of the training ground. She stepped back and let Weiss assume the proper form.

Once again, a spinning white glyph appeared on the ground.

"Don't just think back to your fallen foes. Think about _why_ they fell to you."

"Why… why they fell to me…"

Slowly, Cinder circled around the room as she spoke. "Why you fought them, and also _why you won_." A careful emphasis was placed on the last three words.

Almost immediately, there was a response. "Because I _wanted_ to win. Because-" Weiss gasped for air as a strong blow struck her between her shoulder blades. The glyph faltered.

" _Think_ before you answer!"

Recovering her stance, Weiss closed her eyes and exhaled.

 _Because I was stronger in those moments. Because I needed to be stronger in those moments. Because they wanted to hurt me. Because they wanted to hurt those I love._

 _Because they_ _ **did**_ _hurt those I love._

Weiss's expression shifted. Her eyebrows furrowed, her gaze turned fiercer. She whispered her last thought, mouthing it to herself.

Cinder knew what Weiss was thinking. "Remember what they put you through, Weiss."

The heiress grit her teeth, white-knuckling her rapier as she held back tears. A chill began to wisp around the room.

"What would you have done to stop it if you could?"

Too many times, she had been unable to protect her friends from harm. Torchwick captured Ruby. Adam stabbed Blake and dismembered Yang. Even when she did summon that arm, it wasn't enough, and people still got hurt. Cinder murdered Pyrrha, and yet, the Fall Maiden was here now, _helping_ Weiss because she wasn't strong enough to help herself. The heat flooding through her face made her oblivious to the snap-freeze wind now swirling around her.

Weiss shut her eyes.

What if she could have stopped it all? What if she could summon earlier and stopped the Grimm by using _her own_ Grimm? An army of Boarbatusk and Nevermores, led by an enormous suit of armor; yes, she could have stopped it all. Beacon would be safe. There would be no evacuation. There would be no military intervention.

There would be no relocation of the 258th. There would be no mission. Winter would be alive.

Weiss's eyes snapped open. A storm now howled around her, white whips of snow striking the air. The tears flowed freely now, and the gale turned to a blizzard. Powder created a barrier between Weiss, the glyph, and the world.

Suddenly, a wing. Then another. Then, the full form of a Nevermore, glistening light blue and white, standing proud and still despite the wind. It was beautiful, and Weiss almost lost her composure from pride and happiness.

Temporary satisfaction. It wasn't enough.

The Nevermore flew around the room, its wings beating powerful gusts as the glyph spun to a blur. Sobs escaped Weiss's lips, and more glowing white figures formed before her. They were smaller, but large in number. They, too joined the vortex.

It was painful, almost too painful for Weiss to bear but she kept going anyway. She had to do this, it was for everything she fought to protect, she _had_ to get stronger, she was so weak she was letting an enemy help her and was still crying like a pathetic child right in front of her. She had to get stronger, she had to, she had to-

Everything stopped, freezing in place. Black dotted the white in Weiss's vision. The spots continued to grow until she was completely blind from exhaustion.

"No… not…"

Warmth returned.

 _It's too much…_

 _Why is it so hard to breathe...?_

Warmth vanished.


End file.
